Military and law enforcement personnel have employed armor-enhanced under-clothing in order to protect their bodies from gunfire, shrapnel, explosive devices and other harmful ballistic objects. Even when such under-clothing is sized according to individual specifications (for example, small, medium and large), the armor-enhanced under-clothing does not generally fit well, gets bunched up, prohibits smooth movement, results in undesirable gaps between body and under-clothing, has limited contact points with the body, and even hinders the withdrawal of firearms. Such disadvantages often result in poor performance and can encourage mis-use or even non-use of these protective devices.
Actors and other professionals have also employed body shape modification suits, which are used in the film industry to modify the wearer's physical form, i.e., body appearance. Examples of such uses include Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor” and Robin Williams in “Mrs. Doubtfire”. However, body shape modification suits are not suited to include armor enhancements. Nevertheless, there is a need for individuals conducting clandestine operations to utilize armor enhancements as well as body shape modification suits in order to maintain a properly protective physical cover.
The present invention addresses the current shortcomings and more. The present invention provides a customizable, armor-enhanced body modification device that conforms substantially to the user's body, providing better protection over critical body areas as selected by the user. In this way, the user can employ as much or as little of the system of the present invention as desired or needed for a given anticipated threat level. The present invention employs compression fabric as a base material in the top (e.g., shirt) and bottom (e.g., shorts) system elements, padded elements throughout various selected parts of the base material (e.g., for body form/shape modification), and further can include one or more static fabric material harnesses. The material can be provided in different forms depending upon desired characteristics (e.g., wicking, fire resistance, temperature management, anti-microbial, etc.). Anti-ballistic panels of suitable material and thickness can be inserted into the static fabric material harness or pocket designed to carry the panels while preventing any undesirable bouncing effect. In one embodiment of the present invention, the top and bottom elements are adapted to be secured to one another using hook-and-loop fasteners or similar fasteners to facilitate comfort, intended purpose and overall fit. In another embodiment of the present invention, the top and bottom sections are integrated as a single piece or article of under-clothing. The present invention can be provided in sleeveless, short sleeve and long sleeve shirts, shorts and pants, for example.